Christmas Travel Chaos: What Flight Delays and Cancellations Mean for Expats in Spain

December 2025: What Is Happening Right Now

In the first week of December 2025, European airports have already seen dozens of cancellations and heavy delays, with airlines such as easyJet, Vueling, British Airways, Pegasus and Air France affected on routes linking Spain with the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Greece.

Travel disruption trackers report more than a thousand delayed flights and close to a hundred cancellations in recent days across key hubs, including Barcelona El Prat, London Heathrow, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Dublin and Zurich, as winter weather and operational issues hit the early Christmas rush.

On top of this, a rolling ground-handling strike that affects Ryanair’s Spanish bases every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday is scheduled to continue until 31 December 2025, covering the main Christmas and New Year travel peaks and increasing the risk of long queues, baggage delays and missed connections for passengers flying to and from Spain.

Why Spain Flights Are So Disrupted This Christmas

The run-up to Christmas is always one of the busiest travel periods of the year, but this season is proving especially challenging for anyone flying to or from Spain.

High passenger demand, winter storms across Europe, and knock-on operational issues are combining to cause delays, last-minute cancellations, missed connections, and long queues at airports.

For expats who rely on flights to bring family over, return home for the holidays, or make important residency-related trips, these disruptions can quickly turn a simple journey into a major headache.

How Flight Chaos Hits Expats Specifically

Missed connections and tight itineraries

Many expats in Spain book cheap multi-leg journeys through European hubs to keep costs down.

When the first flight is delayed or cancelled, passengers are left scrambling for alternatives, and a missed connection can mean being stranded overnight or arriving days later than planned.

This can have serious knock-on effects if you have appointments booked — such as residency paperwork, medical tests, or important meetings that cannot easily be moved.

Family visits and time-sensitive trips

Christmas is a peak time for family reunions, so any disruption hits harder than at other times of the year.

Children flying in or out, elderly relatives with health conditions, and tight school or work holiday windows all make delays and cancellations much more stressful than a simple “weekend away” inconvenience.

For expats, there is often no easy “plan B” by car or train, especially when living on the islands or far from major land borders.

How to Build in Buffer Time When Flying to Spain

Avoid ultra-tight connections

When booking flights this month, it is sensible to allow generous connection times rather than choosing the absolute cheapest, tightest option.

Longer layovers give you more margin if the first flight is delayed and reduce the risk of being rebooked onto a much later service.

If possible, opt for through-tickets on a single booking rather than separate tickets; this usually gives you better protection and clearer responsibility when things go wrong.

Travel a day earlier for critical commitments

If you have a must-attend appointment — such as an immigration office visit, medical procedure, or property signing — avoid flying in on the same day if you can.

Arriving at least one day before key commitments can save you from stressful last-minute cancellations and the risk of losing important appointments or fees.

While it may cost a little more in accommodation, it usually works out cheaper than having to rebook missed appointments or resubmit paperwork.

Smart packing and planning for delays

Always pack essential medications, basic toiletries, and one change of clothes in your hand luggage, in case your checked bags are delayed or you are forced to overnight somewhere unexpectedly.

Keep physical and digital copies of your travel insurance, health insurance details, and any important documents — such as residency paperwork or appointment confirmations — where you can quickly access them if plans change.

Your Passenger Rights Under EU261

When compensation may be due

For flights departing from an EU airport, or operated by an EU-based airline, you are protected by EU261 regulations.

Depending on the distance of your flight and the length of the delay, you may be entitled to compensation if the disruption is within the airline’s control, such as crew shortages or technical issues.

Bad weather and air traffic control restrictions are generally classed as “extraordinary circumstances”, where compensation may not apply, but the airline still has care duties.

Right to care and assistance

Even when compensation is not due, airlines must normally provide basic care — such as meals and refreshments during long delays, and hotel accommodation plus transfers if you are stranded overnight.

You also have the right to rerouting at the earliest opportunity, or a refund if the flight is cancelled and you decide not to travel.

It is important to keep all receipts and document what happened, as this makes any claim or complaint much easier to process later.

Practical tips for claiming

Always ask the airline at the airport for written confirmation of the reason for delay or cancellation, including the flight number, date, and length of disruption.

Submit your claim via the airline’s official channels as soon as possible, attaching boarding passes, booking confirmations, and receipts for any extra expenses you had to cover.

If the airline refuses a claim you believe is valid, you can escalate to national enforcement bodies or use recognised dispute resolution services.

Protect Yourself Before You Move or Return

With flight cancellations and delays more common this Christmas, planning for disruption should sit alongside sorting out your long-term healthcare and residency paperwork.

If you live in Spain or are planning a permanent move, comprehensive private health insurance designed for residents can make a huge difference when journeys go wrong and you need fast, reliable medical support once you are back on Spanish soil.

Find out more about long-term Sanitas private medical insurance and get an instant quote.